Further North

Tiger muskies, though rare, absolutely occur naturally without stocking. Every one I have caught to date has been a natural fish.

It is, and it's unfortunate.

Eventually, yes...but even one quality "musky rod" with a good reel is going to be hundreds of dollars. If the bug bites, we all wind up there (I have 30+ fly rods, the bulk of which are 8 wt. and up for "big game, and even more gear rods, two boats, thousands of lures and flies, equipment and material for making my own lures, baits and flies...) but the first thing is to figure out if this game is even our thing. Some folks don't enjoy the grind. Of course they do...sometimes. Other times, a 5" Smokin' Rooster or #5 Mepps is they key. We've all seen the eat where a fish has refused one size...than clobbered the other on the first presentation on the first cast. I spent a week in Canada with a dedicated musky angler once, early June. Muskies were not eating big lures, and he couldn't convince himself to downsize. He went fishless, other than a couple medium sized pike, while I boated nine muskies for the week between 35 and 48" on nothing lager than the 1 1/8 Doctor Spoon.

I think if we look at the progression from long (or recurve) bows for archery, to compound bows, to crossbows, what we see is a a lessening of the skills needed to make the shot...and some people don't like that because they feel it diminishes the sport...and they struggle with the part where it encourages more people to get out in the woods and participate. I can see both sides, but will side with the latter every time. Hunting, fishing, or whatever. The benefit to increasing outdoor participation exceeds purist's desire to keep things the same, every time, on balance. I'm sure we can come up with an example or three where increased participation has had a negative impact...but that's not the point. Benefit, on balance, is the point.

I don't believe anyone has said "smaller is better", rather that smaller works just as well. People like Bill Sherer and Ace Sommerfeld have been proving that for over 30 years. There is a time and a place for the bigger stuff as well, but it's not a requirement, particularly at certain times of the year when the forage tends to be smaller. One example would be skinny water rivers. Exactly. He can go buy an example or two of the recommended lures, see what happens, then go from there. There's no reason to spend hundreds of dollars on gear just to catch some tigers. Anglers, like everyone else, like to project how they fish onto others in other areas, fishing in different ways. ...it's interesting that you feel there's a big contrast between tigers and Canadian northern pike and pure strain muskies. I am interested in why. I've caught few tigers, all naturals, but lots of the other two, and I've not seen any significant difference between them, other than muskies being less aggressive, on balance.

Menards sells a pair similar to that, 15" long, for a very reasonable price. I have one in each of my boats.

Cold water, in the river over here, means low and slow. Like painfully slow. ...I can't find a way to enjoy it...even though it's supposed to produce the best fish of the year.

Great advice from @gimruis I have caught more muskies and pike on three lures than any of the larger "musky" sized lures I have: Strike King Smokin' Rooster, Texas Rigged over a wire leader, 1/4 oz. weight up front, 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook. These are no longer made, but esox hate them with a passion. I make my own...thrown on a medium action rod appropriate for the weight. #5 Mepps. Red and White, and Brown Trout have been my most productive. I throw these on a rod I have specifically set up for #5 Mepps; very much not a "musky" rod. Doctor Spoons, both the 1 1/8 oz. size, and the ones one size smaller. Again, not thrown on a "musky rod". ...I don't encounter a lot of tigers, but I can't imagine those lures not working well for them. This 43" ate a Smokin' Rooster last summer. ...I had another 43" a couple days before that, also on the Smokin' Rooster, no pictures, tough release so no time. This 40", from 2021 also ate the Smokin' Rooster

That's the simple truth.

I've heard of this, but never actually encountered it. An 8 wt. is my smallie fly rod choice, more often than not. Though I had a 6 wt. built last summer that's magic, so it'll get a bunch of time on the water this year.

Bass on the fly is a blast, particularly when floating the rivers. Not many, but perhaps a few. I've a seen the same behavior from what I call "species snobs" - the folks who thing the the fish they focus all their energy on is better than all the other fish out there for some obscure self justified reasons.

Scott, it's so great to hear that from another angler, other than me. I have experienced the same. I probably fish flies/gear 50/50, and I've never fished with anyone who has considered themselves better than other anglers. Our local fly tying club is just buncha regular folk who happen fish with flies a fair amount of the time.

https://www.tu.org/magazine/fishing/the-true-cast-is-fly-fishing-an-elitist-pursuit/?_zs=t2KCb&_zl=H3mO3&fbclid=IwAR0afJRj-sM08hHeyTg1z5GNh_zBXYcDzMSLgwM79RngKXYU1OgV15nlTQ8 Good stuff. Best read all the way through and taken as a whole rather than in bits and pieces.

Thanks. I'm pretty easy on equipment, but there's not much in a drift boat that doesn't get used hard. The connection to an Ulterra is critical, they don't react well to power loss. I'll check it out. https://oldtowncanoe.johnsonoutdoors.com/accessories/fishing/battery-box Looks like I'd need the other end of the connection that's probably wired into the boat.

Anything that might get tangled in fly line will come out when the trolling motor is not on the boat. The motor mount has to mount to the flat area, and come up high enough for the motor to deploy. It'll be in the way if anyone is up there fishing. I like that battery box, you said it's an Old Town product?

I'll go take a look at that. The third battery for the bilge complicates things a bit - I don't want two chargers on board. The wiring is to be determined. The entire trolling motor and battery system will be removable for any trip with more than one person in the boat...which is most days on the water. Wiring will drop down through the bow... ...then run under the raised floor to the rowing seat (the center seat in these pictures). Batteries, motor, motor mount, and charger will come out when not needed, wiring will stay in the boat with some sort of easy connection on both ends - probably ring connectors on the batteries and a Minn Kota plug for the motor at the bow. ...but I'm always interested in other ideas. Those pictures are from when the boat was new, it's had some modifications since then, but nothing that'll change how this system works.

I'm considering it. Whatever I do has to be easily removable...and it's be nice if it worked with my existing Minn Kota 3-bank PCL charger (There's a small battery on board to run the bilge pump. I'd rather not spend that money twice.

I'm already running a group 24 there, and it's only a few years old. When I added the electronics-only battery, I changed to the 24 at the same time to try to save a bit of weight. That's the plan when the battery I have (only two seasons old) goes bad. I changed my charger to a Minn Kota PCL last summer to be ready for that move. I had been looking hard at LiFePo4 batteries for the trolling motor, but I was kind of forced into new lead acid when one of my existing batteries died on me up in Canada this summer. I had to replace all three with what was on hand, and lithium wasn't an option. I seem to get 7-8 years out of a set of batteries, so I won't have to make that decision for a while. I will be deciding on the battery package for my drift boat shortly, and it'll likely be two 50Ah LiFePo4 batteries to run the 24 volt Ulterra I have for the boat. It will only get used when I am fishing alone, and even then, not anywhere near all day...and weight in that boat is important.

I have to take out all the rods, open the cover, work in a narrow confining space with poor lighting, close the cover, then put all the rods (over 20) back in. It works the same in my friend's Pro-V Bass. It's the best location for the batteries, hands down, but it's not easy to access.

Generally speaking, electric motors are lighter than ICE motors of similar output. ...but battery needs for a jet might be greater than for a propped motor because of the need to keep the jet closer to max revs. It'll be interesting to see the tech work itself out. You've done your homework. I know two people who have gone to lithium and had problems with how their boats plane out. My boat was really set up to run with two trolling motor batteries, and one starting/electronics battery, and I run it with three trolling motor batteries, a starting battery, and a dedicated electronics battery...all lead acid at this point. I am considering how I might re-arrange that using one or two lithiums... My boat is set up the same way. Great for running and for storage, but those batteries are a PITA to get to.

After you delete the gas tank (250#), the lighter weight of the electric motor vs. the ICE motor (about 100#), get rid of the trolling motor batteries (195#), it's about a push. Most people don't need the same capability in a boat that an EV needs (hundreds of miles) at anywhere near full throttle (75% will about double your battery life). My big motor runs about 30 minutes a day anywhere around here, and maybe an hour on really big water, and I hardly ever run it over 70%. So...yes. Also: it's not about retrofitting old boats, it's really about building new boats around the tech. I understand that's not in the article, but it's reality. Old boats aren't going anywhere, but new boats, designed around the tech, will be different. I'm not interested in that discussion - either side of it - only in the possibilities of the tech. Those arguments were boring five years ago and haven't gotten any fresher since. The same clowns on both sides pushing an agenda, talking past each other. We'd all be better off if we locked 'em all in a room and let 'em fight it out. ...and the tech is changing fast. Check into it...sodium ion is a good place to start.

I think jets and electric power are a marriage made in heaven. Even better if the batteries can be separated from the power-head and used to balance the boat. I agree 100%. I try to follow the tech because of it's potential. Check this out:

Yes, like the difference between running my current boat at 6,200 RPM, and 4,200 RPM. It sips at 4,200 RPM.

Holy wow! That's a beast. probably a little out of a retiree's budget though. ?

Probably not, I have an almost new drift boat, and with my fishing partner, access to jet boats, rafts and a Towee... But it's still a cool idea.